South Sudan: S. Sudan Sets Out Preconditions for Peace Talks With Rebels
21 March 2014
Juba - The South Sudanese government on Thursday said it would only
participate in the second round of peace talks with rebels if mediators from
regional bloc IGAD excluded seven senior politicians in Kenya from the
negotiations.
The seven officials were released by the Juba after being held for weeks in
connection to their alleged involvement in a "coup" attempt in mid-December
last year, which triggered the current crisis.
All of the senior members of South Sudan's ruling party (SPLM) accused of
trying to oust president Salva Kiir in mid-December have denied the claims,
insisting the conflict was caused by fighting from within the national army
(SPLA).
The government has urged mediators from the East African regional bloc not
to allow the seven politicians, now living in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi,
to join the talks as a third grouping.
Both the SPLM and the rebel SPLM/A in Opposition have also shown little
interest in the involvement of South Sudanese civil society groups in peace
talks.
Cabinet affairs minister Martin Elia Lomuro told reporters on Thursday that
the government and other political parties in the country were in consensus
that talks be limited to those directly involved in the armed conflict,
rejecting the participation of a so-called third bloc in negotiations.
"An objection letter will be taken by our chief negotiator to the mediators.
This objection letter represents the clear views and stance of the
leadership of this country. All the political forces have agreed that
negotiations should be confined to the government and those who are carrying
arms and engaging the in this senseless conflict," said Lomuro.
Following their release, the seven officials decided against joining the
SPLM in Opposition which is being led by Riek Machar, South Sudan's former
vice president.
The armed opposition and the government have both been accused of widespread
abuses in the conflict which has killed an estimated 10,000 people and
displaced more than 900,000. According the United Nations, 40 per cent of
South Sudanese people are now in need of aid.
In a statement broadcast by the state-owned SSTV on Tuesday, information
minister Michael Makuei said that president Kiir had been ignored by IGAD
after he told a summit that he rejected the participation of the seven
officials.
However, IGAD member countries included in the end-of-summit communique not
only said that the seven officials should be allowed to participate in the
talks, but demanded that another four officials who are facing trial in Juba
on charges of treason also be released to take part.
"The president stated it clearly at the summit; nevertheless the communique
by IGAD member countries included the demand for the release of the
detainees and the participation of those who called themselves SPLM
leaders," said Lueth.
The minister said the SPLM leadership and other political parties had agreed
to send an official objection letter to the IGAD chairman - Ethiopian prime
minister Hailemariam Desalegn - resolving not to participate further in the
talks until the matter is resolved.
The government spokesperson argued that their objection was based on the
lack legitimacy of the group of seven to participate in the negotiations.
"We are saying these people should not participate because they are not
stakeholders. So our chief negotiator will be going ahead with the letter of
protest," he explained.
Talks were scheduled to resume on 20 March, but it appears the government's
objection to the participation of the seven politicians will further delay
the resumption.
It is also unclear whether rebels would participate in the talks after the
government recaptured Malakal town, the capital of South Sudan's
oil-producing Upper Nile state, on Wednesday.
The release of the remaining four political detainees and the participation
of the seven politicians have also been one of the conditions set down by
rebel officials participating in the talks.
They have also demanded that the Ugandan military, which deployed its forces
to support the government, remove its troops from South Sudan.
The rebels have also rejected to the inclusion of some of their stronghold
areas in the ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanisms, stressing the
areas have not witnessed any armed engagement and therefore do not warrant
inclusion in the process.
At the venue of the talks in Addis Ababa, rebel negotiators were present on
Thursday evening team but the government's delegation failed to arrive.
A rebel figure at the talks told Sudan Tribune that Kiir had "provoked our
positions in Malakal by attacking [our forces] for the last three days",
accusing the government of not being interested in peace.